From 5-day old stray kitty, Xiao Gui-gui (Little Ghost), to jawless, toothless Chihuahua, Xiao Lao-lao (Little Old), it just seems these pitiful souls land themselves directly in my pathway for a reason — they know I can’t pass them up.

So it goes for another small find 4 days ago.

After a horrendous lightening, thunder and rainstorm the entire Friday night, Little Flower and I made our way out of the hotel for our usual morning outing along the sidewalks of Chengdu. The temperatures had dropped considerably from 88 degrees the day before to 65. Literally, everything was drenched with leaves and twigs scattered in all directions. And by "everything," I also include the tiny, mewing figure huddled against a closed storefront which greeted us within 5 feet of the hotel entrance.

Here was a black and white kitten, about 5 weeks old, looking a bit like a drowned rat due to being soaked in rainwater. He was very scared and cold, shivering and looking about for Mom.

"Pass him by," my practical, inner-self said. "He’s old enough to fend for himself. You can’t be responsible for a kitty when you’re leaving in another 3 weeks."

But he could use some shelter so I made sure he scurried himself into a quiet, shrub-covered cubbyhole alongside the building. At least he wouldn’t get hit by a car if he wandered off and also have some shelter when the rains started up again.

Off Little Flower and I went on our walk. I was determined not to give it another thought and I’m sure LF was determined not to have another visitor to take away her Number One presence in my life.

Yet 5 hours later, the kitty was still mewing. I had to check up on him, despite saying I wouldn’t. He was just too pathetic to leave in the muck, where he had positioned himself under a wet bush. Off he came to the hotel room for a bath, which revealed a deep gash under one front leg. It did not smell too good, either.

This kitty, obviously, needed tending to. Aside from being hungry and cold, medical assistance was a definite must.

So once again, it was Connie to the rescue of yet another one of God’s helpless creatures.

Five days later, our little kitty is racing about the hotel room, cuddling up for naps on my lap and stalking about the room a very wary (and jealous) Little Flower. He uses his litter box like a pro and eats like a horse. Talk about a huge belly!

A visit to a new veterinarian clinic, Harmonious Animal Hospital, has our kitty on antibiotic sprays for his wound. It’s already healing quite nicely although the area looks nasty, especially after the vet shaved off the surrounding fur so she could take a better look at what we were dealing with.

I’ve already been emailing friends in the area about a home. My first thought was Jason, Ji Ke, who was a former student of mine. His sister was in need of a heart procedure a year ago and I was thankful to have enough money to help out the family with the operation. Jason’s parents live in the countryside in a small village which is very near Chengdu. A countryside home for a male kitty would be a great place. He can wander to heart’s content, especially when the adolescent and adult stages hit with full sexual driving force. Nothing like a strong Tom given full run of the chicken coop!

After a phonecall to Jason, who then talked to his parents, Kitty definitely has a home with them.

Or there are Luzhou city folk as well. My good friends there would most likely give this little guy a very cushy life, free from fleas and diseases. I know they’d make sure yearly vaccinations were in order. In Jason’s home, Kitty will probably remain susceptable to all the feline killers that come with not getting vaccinated. No immunizations are just the way it goes for farm cats here.

Thus in the Chinese countryside, it would be a life of free roaming with not much human care given to what happens to him. In the Chinese city, it would be a lot of love, safety and comfort for the rest of his life.

We just have to see how it plays out and who is the most willing to take in our little kitty. In the meantime, he will continue to stay with me and Little Flower in the hotel room.

He’ll heal. He’ll plump up. He’ll scamper about.

Hopefully, I can get in one round of vaccinations before he goes to a new home and I leave for Guangxi. One round is better than none. And, hopefully, I’ll find him the perfect home before October 5 sends me, along with Little Flower, off to Longzhou to begin the school year.

Wish me luck, and here’s Ping An (peace) added for your day.

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About connieinchina

I have been in the Asia region for 18 years as an English language teacher. 13 of those have been spent with the Amity Foundation, a Chinese NGO that works in all areas of development for the Chinese people. Amity teachers are placed at small colleges throughout China as instructors of English language majors in the education field. In other words, my students will one day be English teachers themselves in their small villages or towns once they graduate. Currently, this is my second year in Guangxi Province at the 3-year college, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities. The college is located in smalltown longzhou, 1 hour from the Vietnam border.